conflict | Thoughts About God

Preventing Walls of Hostility

Devotionals — Thu, 21 May 2026 07:06:12 +0000

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one, and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” Ephesians 2:14

Conflict can produce hostility. Years ago, I was asked to be one of the worship leaders at a church where they had never experienced a woman in a leadership position. The circumstances surrounding this caused discord among some of the people, and opposition started brewing within their hearts.

I could have easily felt hurt, discouraged, and abandoned. I almost questioned God’s purpose. I turned to scripture and found King David’s story.

Before David became the King of Israel, King Saul attempted to take his life several times. During years of fleeing, David could have allowed anger and rage to fill his heart toward Saul, and toward God whom he believed had anointed him for this task of leading His people. Yet, in his moments of frustration and suffering, he asked God to search his heart and allowed God to fill him with peace.

Conflict can turn into frustration and unforgiveness, which can breed anger and build a wall of hostility between our relationships with others and with God. We all have experienced hurt, pain, or a time when others wronged us — and where we may even feel that God has forsaken us — yet, those are the moments that God desires to surround us and fill us with His peace that transcends our circumstances.

The peace of God can demolish hostility. We must check our hearts daily and ask God, like David did in Psalm 139:23, to “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

Heavenly Father, forgive me where I have harboured unforgiveness and anger towards others and towards you. I ask that you break down the walls that I have put up that are keeping me from experiencing the fullness of the relationship that I can have with you and with others. Fill my heart and my life with your peace. Amen.

By Brigitte Straub
Used by Permission

If Hockey Banned Fighting

Devotionals — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 08:02:01 +0000

“If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.” Luke 6:29

It’s the playoffs, and during them hockey players hold to the unspoken rule that giving hard hits is fine, but one ought to avoid outright fights. This agreement makes for fast-skating, hard-hitting hockey without the tough-man antics of dropping the gloves for a mid-ice brawl. Most would say it makes better hockey.

I know it might be a stretch, but what if we banned fighting in hockey during the regular season? Would we get better hockey? Probably so. Or what if we dropped fighting from politics and international relations and neighborhood issues. Or bring it closer to home. What if we quit fighting at our workplace and home space, in our relating to colleagues, friends, and family?

Jesus said as much. In Luke he says if someone picks a fight with us, we shouldn’t retaliate. “Turn the other cheek” the saying goes, and even more. “If he takes your coat, give him your shirt too.”

In The Upside Down Kingdom, Donald Kraybill writes, ”A blow on the right cheek had special significance in Jewish culture. It symbolized ultimate contempt. Its punishment was a fine equivalent to a year’s wages. In other words, Jesus forbids his disciples to retaliate even in the face of the most abusive insult.” (p. 196)

I am all for “fighting the good fight” if it means living the faith to the fullest, but I am not going to take that phrase literally. By turning the other cheek I hope to squelch violence and help the offender realize their wrong.

God, it’s so easy to fight back in conflict situations. Help me see that you called us to love everyone, even our enemies. May I seek peaceful ways to reconcile differences, and in doing so fight faithfully for what is right and good. Amen.

Take Action: The next time you are in a conflict situation, look for ways to defuse the situation through apology, listening, or walking away

By Bill Strom
used be permission

FURTHER READING

Responding to Accusations
Leading in a Storm
Stronghold of the Godly; Humility – by Francis Frangipane

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Loving Through Conflict

Devotionals — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:01:06 +0000

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Christmas events can sometimes give rise to relational conflict that mars the peace of the season. Conflict often reflects unmet needs.

No one likes to be thought of as needy. It’s easier to think of others as needy; but can you identify where you might be needy? Recall the last conflict you encountered. Could there be a need that remains unmet in your heart? Sometimes the unmet need is easy to remedy, such as the need for sleep.

Often it is deeper. The need to feel loved, valued and heard, or the need to be accepted or respected, can cause resistance from a wounded heart. Control and manipulation can stem from an angry heart, or a need to forgive others or one’s self.

When you see potential conflict ahead, stop and look honestly at yourself. G-R-O-W in love through conflict.

Give God the opportunity to reveal any unmet need that may be at the root of this conflict. Be open to seeing your need and to praying for the needs of another. It will help dissolve tension.

Recognize that God is the only one who can meet all your needs.

Open your heart to God for His help. Let Him be the source for any unmet need in your life. Consider asking someone to pray for you in this.

Walk beside another in their unmet needs asking God to be their source in meeting the needs of their soul.

Invite Jesus into your tensions this Christmas Season and let His loving peace overrule.

Father God, please bring your peace into my Christmas celebrations. Where relationships are frayed help me see my part stemming from any unmet needs I have. May I look to you to be the source for all my needs. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Responding to Accusations – by Charles Stanley

Nothing Can Separate Us – by Suzanne Benner

God Our Great Deliverer – by Phil Ware

A Prayer for Conflict Resolution

Dear God, when your son Jesus died and rose from the dead, He broke down walls of hostility. Father, you know the conflict I am having right now. I don’t know how to resolve it. You are our Savior. Please save and restore this relationship. Amen

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Finding the Good in Conflict

Devotionals — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 09:03:58 +0000

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark…They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.” Acts 15:36-37,39

Conflict. Conflict among believers? Conflict among Christian leaders! When we read the powerful stories of the Holy Spirit’s movements in Acts, this episode between Paul and Barnabas stands out as a blemish.

By now they had ministered in many cities throughout the Roman Empire, silenced a false prophet, explained Jesus’ place in Jewish history, performed miracles, and been mistaken as Zeus and Hermes (Greek gods). And they had weathered rejection, abusive language, even stoning. But in Pamphylia, their third partner, John Mark, suddenly left them to go home to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).

That became a sore point. Acts 15:38 states Paul didn’t think having John Mark rejoin them was a wise decision. Perhaps Paul didn’t wish to trust a deserter with so much on the line. Paul had churches to visit, sermons to preach, Jews and Gentiles to enlighten about the Good News of Jesus. He valued gospel proclamation. Barnabas, it seems, wanted to give John Mark a second chance, to mend a fence, to build up a young believer who probably felt horrible about ditching them.

We can learn a few lessons here:

We may be called to unity of purpose (Romans 5:5-6), but our means might differ. Both Paul’s big picture approach and Barnabas’ relational one grew the church.

Conflict may be difficult, but good can come of it. In this case, Paul and Silas went one direction, and Barnabas and Mark another — all to visit new churches in order to build them up.

Conflict is a part of life, and good-meaning people rub each other the wrong way routinely. The question is how we will deal with it — either destructively or constructively?

Dear God, please help me see that conflict with people may be your way of growing me and people around me. May I not wish it away, or run from it, but may I find your good in it. Amen.

By Bill Strom
Used by Permission

Trouble at Home

Devotionals — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 08:01:07 +0000

Do people in church get under your skin sometimes?

“No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.” Ephesians 5:29

That sister in church was getting on my last nerve and I was getting on hers. I decided to bite my tongue and love her despite my feelings. That challenged me incredibly. More than a decade later, we know we can call each other at anytime of the day or night, and we will pray for one another. I love her as if we were raised together.

Do people in church get under your skin sometimes? Maybe you are in a season when you think church might not be for you. Have you been hurt?

The verse above is from a portion of Scriptures where Paul describes what a godly marriage looks like. Marriage represents on earth the relationship of Jesus with His beloved bride, the Church. Paul reminds us of how we care for our bodies and so does Jesus with His Body – that’s us!

If we love the Lord, how could we hate His Body? When you feel like the Church has done you wrong, don’t give up on the Body of Christ just yet. Go deeper. Love more. Invest even more. Care for it. Let it love you back. This Church is your family, the house of the God you love. Don’t give up on it. He built it up for a purpose.

Heavenly Father, You know my heart and all that I am going through. Help me to love your people. Give me wisdom and give me patience, oh Lord! Heal my heart and remove bitterness and unforgiveness. Renew my love and zeal for your house. Only You can do these things. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

By Caroline Bellemare
Used by Permission

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